Publications by Alberto Mian | EPFL Graph Search

Optimization based approach to assist the transition of large energy users to low temperature networks

François Maréchal, Jessen Page, Alberto Mian, Francesca Belfiore

Distric Energy System (DES) represents a promising opportunity to improve energy efficiency and boost the decarbonization of the European energy sector. If most of the studies focus on small consumers typically located within urban areas, large energy user ...

Curran Associates, Inc.2020

Design of a Pilot SOFC System for the Combined Production of Hydrogen and Electricity under Refueling Station Requirements

Stefan Diethelm, Jan Van Herle, François Maréchal, Maria del Mar Perez Fortes, Alberto Mian

The objective of the current work is to support the design of a pilot hydrogen and electricity producing plant that uses natural gas (or biomethane) as raw material, as a transition option towards a 100% renewable transportation system. The plant, with a s ...

2019

A Heat Load Distribution Method for Retrofitting Heat Exchanger Networks, 28th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Hür Ebuzer Bütün, Ivan Daniel Kantor

Fluctuating energy prices, increasing environmental concerns, and regulations push industries toward more energy efficient plants. Process integration (PI) techniques, proven to be effective in providing solutions with improved energy and material efficien ...

2018

A Review of Evaluation, Optimization and Synthesis of Energy Systems: Methodology and Application to Thermal Power Plants

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Tzu-En Lin, Ligang Wang, Shivom Sharma

To reach optimal/better conceptual designs of energy systems, key design variables should be optimized/adapted with system layouts, which may contribute significantly to system improvement. Layout improvement can be proposed by combining system analysis wi ...

2018

A general superstructure for the optimal synthesis and design of power and inverse Rankine cycles, 27th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Emanuele Martelli

This work presents a very general superstructure capable of reproducing any configuration of Rankine cycles, both power cycles (steam cycles we well as Organic Rankine Cycles) and inverse cycles (refrigeration cycles or heat pumps), as well as heat/steam d ...

Elsevier Science2017

Multi-objective Optimization of Supercritical Water Gasification of Leftover Brazilian Ginseng Roots After Phytochemical Recovery Steps

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas, Diego Tresinari dos Santos, Juliana Queiroz Albarelli

The present study aims at studying the supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of the leftover Brazilian ginseng roots after phytochemicals extraction for synthetic natural gas (SNG) production, envisioning the development of a promising Brazilian ginseng ...

2017

Integrated System Design of a Small-scale Power-to-Methane Demonstrator

Stefan Diethelm, Jan Van Herle, François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Ligang Wang

Power-to-methane technology has been considered as a promising alternative to cope with seasonal storage of renewable energy and the utilization of CO2 captured from various sources, due to the existing infrastructure for massive methane storage and distri ...

2017

A systematic methodology for the techno-economic optimization of Organic Rankine Cycles

Alberto Mian, Emanuele Martelli

This work presents a general and systematic methodology for the techno-economic optimization of Rankine cycles. The proposed superstructure for Rankine cycles allows to reproduce a wide range of cycle configurations, such as cycles with/without regenerator ...

Elsevier Science Bv2017

Multi-objective optimization of utility systems and heat exchanger networks: method and application to the solar assisted hydrothermal gasification case

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas, Emanuele Martelli

This work presents a novel framework for the multi-objective synthesis of utility systems and Heat Exchanger Networks (HEN) under single or multi-period operations. In order to solve the resulting Mixed Integer Non Linear (MINLP) programming problem, a bi- ...

Elsevier Science Bv2017

MINLP model and two-stage algorithm for the simultaneous synthesis of heat exchanger networks, utility systems and heat recovery cycles

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Emanuele Martelli

This work proposes a novel approach for the simultaneous synthesis of Heat Exchanger Networks (HEN) and Utility Systems of chemical processes and energy systems. Given a set of hot and cold process streams and a set of available utility systems, the method ...

2017

Apparatus for salt separation under supercritical water conditions

Daniel Favrat, François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas

Apparatus for salt separation (2) under supercritical water conditions, comprising a heat exchanger (4) and a fluidized bed reactor (6). The fluidized bed reactor comprising a supercritical water pressure containing wall (8) defining therein a fluidized be ...

2016

Optimal design methods applied to solar-assisted hydrothermal gasification plants

Alberto Mian

The gasification of highly watered waste residues may help to reduce fossil fuels consumption, as well as emissions, all the while improving efficiency. The integration of supercritical gasification with solar energy may improve the performances of both ne ...

EPFL2016

Multiperiod Sequential Synthesis of Heat Exchanger Networks and Utility Systems including storages

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Emanuele Martelli

This work proposes a sequential approach for the multi-period synthesis of Heat Exchanger Networks (HEN) and Utility Systems of chemical processes and energy systems, including thermal, electric and material storage. The optimization approach is sequential ...

2016

Valorization of sugarcane biorefinery residues using supercritical water gasification: A case study and perspectives

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas

The present study evaluates the use of supercritical fluid technology, particularly supercritical water gasification (SCWG), to add value to residues from a sugarcane biorefinery that produces first and second generation ethanol. This case study aims at el ...

2015

Multi-objective optimization of SNG production from microalgae through hydrothermal gasification

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas

The conversion of microalgae biomass into biofuels is a quite well explored field of research. Due to high photosynthetic efficiency, microalgae are considered as a potential feedstock for next-generations biofuel conversion processes. This paper addresses ...

2015

Optimum Biorefinery Pathways Selection Using the Integer-Cuts Constraint Method Applied to a MILP Problem

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas, Stefano Maronese

Biorefineries are multi-product facilities that convert biomass into a broad variety of products (energy, biofuels, chemicals, feed, and food). In this paper, a new systematic approach to select and rank different biorefinery conversion pathways is propose ...

2015

Integration of Supercritical Water Gasification in Combined 1G/2G Ethanol Production

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas

The present study investigates the potential conversion of sugarcane into ethanol and synthetic natural gas. The considered conversion path consists in combining ethanol first and second generation ethanol production plant with a catalytic supercritical wa ...

Aidic Servizi Srl2014

Thermo-economic and environmental model of microalgae-to-SNG conversion process through hydrothermal gasification

François Maréchal, Kevin Arrandel, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas

Due to its high photosynthesis conversion efficiency, microalgae are currently considered as a serious feedstock for next-generation biofuels production. One possible conversion process is the production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) through catalytic hyd ...

2013

Multi-objective optimization of SNG production through hydrothermal gasification from microalgae

François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas

Elsevier2013

Optimal Design of Solar Assisted Hydrothermal Gasification for Microalgae to Synthetic Natural Gas Conversion

Gianluca Ambrosetti, François Maréchal, Alberto Mian, Adriano Viana Ensinas

Catalytic hydrothermal gasification is a promising technology which allows the conversion of wet biomass into methane rich syngas. It consists of three major steps, in which thermal energy has to be supplied at different temperature levels, leading to mult ...

2013